Start Again
by Spinnergy
Summary: Kakashi finally summons his strength to bring Iruka home -Sequel to This Man No Longer Exists and Theres Oceans Between Us- -Minor Ka2xIru Fluff involved-


**Title: **Start Again  
**Rating: **I'll go with T again x3  
**Genre:** Angst/General Unhappiness/Now with Fluff c|  
**Disclaimer:** Masashi Kishimoto owns the characters.. I just write c:  
**Summary:** Kakashi finally summons his strength to bring Iruka home..  
**Notes:** Sequel to This Man No Longer Exists and Theres Oceans Between Us  
"Tsunade," a voice growled dangerously.

* * *

The fifth Hokage twitched and glared up at the jounin in front of her.

"For the last time, Kakashi, your mission was to bring him back!" she hissed unhappily, glaring at the crumpled mission report.

"Don't think I don't know that! Give me one more week, Tsunade-sama, ONE more…" Kakashi said desperately, stepping towards the blond Sannin.

A sigh echoed through the room, followed by a long silence as Tsunade stared defiantly back into her jounin's one visible eye.

"No."

"But Tsu-"

"Kakashi, no. I can't give you one more week. I've already given you two weeks, and any longer others will begin to question the length of time he's been gone. I can't give any more excuses, Kakashi. They're going to notice. I'll have to declare him missing-nin… As much as I'd hate to."

She paused.

"He was one of our best teachers, and if there is a small chance of getting him back, I'll take it. One more day, Kakashi. You'll leave tonight. I'd normally send someone else, but you're the only one who's been able to get near him. "

Kakashi sighed in relief, thanking the Godaime profusely before retreating to his empty apartment.

The silver-haired nin sat on his bed, staring blankly at the pack in front of him.

"How the hell am I supposed to take him back, I've already tried everything…" Kakashi sighed deeply, remembering the traps he had triggered by upsetting Iruka in trying to grab him. And talking didn't work, he'd try that.

Guilt was out, that was yesterday's try.

Another sigh left the Copy-Nin's mouth and he blinked sadly.

What seemed like hours later, Kakashi was packed and crawling out of his window slowly. Landing lightly and beginning his two hour trek to the cave, he tapped his pocket thoughtfully, hoping he wouldn't have to deal with his last resort.

Iruka sighed as a familiar chakra began to enter the cave. With a wry chuckle he turned his grimy head and looked to the cave entrance. He was leaning on the cave wall, knees to his fast, practically falling over.

"I thought you were leaving me for good, Kakashi-san. I really did."

"I couldn't abandon the mission, Iruka…" Kakashi said with a wince at the honorific.

Iruka simply laughed and looked back up at Kakashi.

"Is this all a mission to you, Kakash?" he asked.

A hurt look crossed Kakashi's face, before being replaced with a solid, stoic one.

"Yes." He stated simply. "Now if you'd let me explain, and take you back, you'll understand. You'll never get it if you don't just listen." He said, voice echoing through the cave as he walked closer to the curled up Iruka.

"Don't. Come. Any. Closer." Iruka hissed, unraveling his arms from around his legs and standing up quickly into a defensive position. It was only a second before a kunai went whizzing past Kakashi as a warning. The dull think of it hitting a tree resonated into the cave.

Kakashi swallowed dryly and nodded, sitting down.

"Are you cold?" Kakashi asked quietly. They'd been like this for at least an hour, Iruka defensive and scared, Kakashi trying to feign an aura of calm. And failing.

Iruka nodded.

Kakashi moved slowly, trying not to startle Iruka, letting out his held breath. This was progress, right? Reaching his long arms over, he grabbed the pack and pulled a blanket out. Kakashi looked to Iruka who nodded again, this time warily. The jounin leaned forward and tossed the blanket to Iruka, who made no move to catch it as it landed with a thud.

Tugging the blanket over his legs, he looked up at Kakashi with distressed brown eyes.

"This blanket is freezing!" he said, gritting his teeth, finally seeming to realize how cold it was out.

"It's been out in this cave the entire time. Everything in here is cold." Kakashi replied pointedly.

Iruka sighed and turned his head away from Kakashi, brown locks clinging to his sweaty face. Kakashi reached his hand out awkwardly, as if he could grab the sensei and pull him closer. Which was physically impossible at this distance, even for Kakashi's long arms. With a huff and a determined look at Iruka, he pulled his hand down and began to talk.

"Please don't go crazy, Iruka-sensei, I need to tell you the truth. If it helps, think of it like I'm talking to a wall…"

Iruka just looked up through glazed eyes, watching Kakashi.

The copy-nin took that as an okay and continued.

"I swear, Iruka, you've had me out here for hours on a time. Why?"

"You're not sure what you want."

"Wh-Wha-?"

"Kakashi-san, really. You want me to come home, but you want me to be happy. I might be a delusional wreck, but I'm not stupid. I know you can force me back to Konoha, but you _don't_._"_

Kakashi's black eye narrowed as he stared blankly at Iruka.

"You're right, it's the same thing I wanted before, Iruka. So tell me what the hell is going on in your mind, because I'm not going to stop trying. For both."

A deep sigh echoed the room and Iruka stood up, visibly shaking and an utterly confused look in his eyes.

"Kakashi, I told you, this is for the best! I deserve to be out here after what I did to Mizuki, and whatever he's done to me – No, don't try and explain it to me, Kakashi – I _deserve_ it. And I want to find _my own_ answers."

He said, throwing his arms up wildly, his voice getting louder and louder until he was yelling at the silver-haired shinobi.

"Iruka, please calm down, stop yelling, stop raising your voice.."

"And you know what?" he continued, ignoring Kakashi's plea.

" I didn't ask you to come out here, _every day_ for me. I just want you to go home and be.. be normal again. The stoic, perverted, non-chalant, rude, and mysterious copy-nin. Not some stupid kid pining after a blundering Academy Sensei!"

Tears were streaming down his face now as he glared at Kakashi, his hitched, scratchy yells echoing through the cave.

"If you'd give me a choice, Kakashi, I wouldn't have to yell." He muttered.

Kakashi sighed again. "I am trying Iruka, to give you a choice that is. However I'd have to disagree. I'm not a pining kid and you're not a blundering sensei."

Kakashi paused, closing his eye, thinking carefully.

It seemed like forever to Iruka, as Kakashi stood, thinking ever so carefully. Like. Forever. It was all he could take when Kakashi finally opened his eye and laughed a bit. Iruka had to stop himself from throwing something at the inconsiderate jounin.

"Well? Done thinking?" he snapped.

Kakashi gazed steadily at him.

"Yep. As a matter of fact, I am. Done thinking. Done talking too, Iruka. It's time to go home. We're big kids now and you need to stop acting like a childish ki-"

"I am not acting like a kid!" Iruka yelled indignantly, eyes hurt from the accusation.

"Yeah, Iruka, you are. You aren't listening to a word I've said, and you're out here looking for answers to god knows what, when we both know Mizuki is in prison. I mean really. What did you think running away would get you?" Kakashi shook his head sadly.

"Stupid, Stupid Chuunin."

Iruka gaped. Was this still Kakashi? The man had never, ever pulled rank on him after the Chuunin Exams incident. Never. It was another taboo between them, along with physical harm. It just didn't happen.

"Yes, Iruka I did just say that. I'm sick of you staying here. You're coming home, tonight." His mask-muffled voice seemed to drawl on forever in the otherwise silent cave.

"No." Iruka said simply.

Suddenly, Kakashi stalked towards him, one hand tapping his pocket.

"You. You don't have a choice anymore, Iruka-sensei. Tsunade-sama's orders" he said flatly. Iruka choked out a laugh, and began backing away from Kakashi with a comment about the Copy-nin and 'not ever following orders'.

Iruka's distraction with backing up was all he needed, and Kakashi grabbed Iruka, pulling him into his arms. The brown-haired chuunin gasper and watched as the Kakashi in front of him dissipated into chakra smoke and leaves. A clone. He thrashed violently, kicking out and trying to reach any sort of weapon he had. Kakashi held on tight clasping his long arms around Iruka.

"Eh, no.. No you don't.." he grunted, before reaching up to his mouth with one hand, grabbing the syringe in needle.

"I did want you to be happy and home Iruka, really. But now I'm forcing you. I made a decision, see. Like a big kid. Now you need to relax." Kakashi finished and stabbed the needle into Iruka's muscled neck, pressing the drugs in.

"Kaka-OW." He said as the needle plunged into him. "What the fuc—" he groaned and slumped into Kakashi's arms, slightly panting from flailing around so much, but otherwise out cold.

The jounin grunted and heaved Iruka onto him, and began to walk out of the cave, pausing only to pick up his pack and the few and rare scattered supplies.

Iruka blinked groggily, before snapping his eyes shut again at the bright light above him.

'The hellll? Where is this ligh-'

His thoughts were cut off at the memories of a needle piercing his neck.

"Kakashi!" Iruka cursed, but somehow couldn't feel as angry as he had before. In fact, he actually felt rather relaxed.

"Oh! Iruka-sensei! Glad to see you're awake.." a familiar blond said, her heels clicking as she stepped into the room. Iruka opened his eyes slowly, staring at the figure above him. Gasping, he sat up straight, only to feel his head pound.

"Tsunade-sama!" he said with a groan. Smiling, the Fifth Hokage stepped forward pushing him lightly, well, lightly for Tsunade, back onto the bed.

"Rest. You're body has been through hell and back, Sensei. That seal not only caused your hallucinations, but messed with your memories and definitely took a toll on your overall physical condition." She stated, before turning around.

"Hokage-sama!" Iruka said suddenly, his arm reaching out.

The Godaime kept walking. "He'll be here to see you in no time, Iruka."

The sensei nodded and put his hand down awkwardly, looking around uncomfortably, not sure what to do with himself.

"Y-youre awake."

Brown hair was still in his face, but he felt considerably cleaner, as if someone had at least wiped his face and neck down. Iruka looked up nervously, staring at Kakashi.

"Y-yeah…Kakashi, look I-" a yelp.

"Kakashi!" Iruka squeaked as the jounin practically tackled him in an attempt to hug him.

"Iruka, 'Ruka, 'Ruka.." he babbled. "My Iruka is back…"

"H-How D'ya know? I mean, what if we can't fully get rid of the seal.. Or, what if it comes back. Kakashi, what if I still.. What if my mind still doesn't remember things right?" Iruka said, though he was leaning happily into the hug from his… boyfriend? He could still call him that, right?

"'Rukkaaa." Kakashi drawled. "I was here when Tsunade got rid of it, all it took was a blast of chakra. Not like Mizuki was ever great with seals, right? And if you start any of that again, I'll know, because you'll tell me and we'll have the Hokage deal with it." He stated seriously, backing up from their hug to grip Iruka's shoulders.

The sensei nodded numbly. "H-How long was I gone?"

"Almost a week. Any longer and you'd have been declared Missing Nin." Kakashi said with a groan. "Woulda been hell to get you back then."

"M-Missing.. Missing Nin?"

"Yeah, stupid, you left the village. Multiple retrieval missions were sent, but your damn traps caught all of the nin in them. Except me. So they sent me back. A lot."

Iruka nodded again. "I know. You were always there. Most of it's a blur. But my traps don't work on you anymore, remember? You explained it once.. t-the chakra.. you…" his brow furrowed as he tried to remember.

Kakashi just smiled underneath his mask. "Our chakra is linked. I did it awhile back. I remember now." A small smirk, which quickly turned into a frown as the jounin sat on the edge of Iruka's hospital bed.

Iruka let out a held breath and squinted at the calendar pinned to the wall. Almost a week. He counted back the days, trying to remember the last date he saw. Then counted forward. Iruka did that again. And again.

"K-Kakashi!" he gasped, staring, awed at the jounin.

"Hmm, Sensei?"

Iruka punched his arm playfully.

"Drop the honorifics, Kakashi-san." He muttered, before looking back up at the slouching blob on his bed. " What day is today?"

"W-What day..? Hnn. The fourteenth." Kakashi said, staring back at the calendar.

"The fourteenth. Of February. " Iruka choked out a laugh, before clutching his sore side in a fit of laughter. "K-Kakashi, you brought me home on Valentines Day?" another fit of laughter.

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow. "What so funny about that, I think its romantic.." he sang playfully.

"Romantic? It's like something out of your porno novels!" Iruka said, frowning in distaste.

"It's not a porno it jus- " he stopped sighing. "But yeah, my Valentines Day gift was dragging my unconscious, delusional boyfriend back to Konoha with me."

Iruka's face fell, crestfallen. "'M sorry, Kashi."

"S'okay. Better than a missin-nin for a lover." He responded cheerfully.

"Yeah, but still… I gotta.." Iruka paused, biting his lip in thought.

As quick as he could, Iruka reached out to the jounin facing away from him and pulled him into his lap. With a small smile, he brushed some of the wild silver hair out of the Copy-Nins bewildered face and leaned forward, tugging the offensive mask away and planting a kiss on Kakashi's lips.

Kakashi smiled into the kiss, whining as Iruka pulled away.

"Don't whine, you damned dog." Iruka grunted, though a large grin was on his face.

Kakashi had the balls to look hurt, before sitting up again.

"Whatttt?" Iruka asked, not comfortable with the mischievous grin his lovers unmasked face.

"Come on!" Kakashi squeaked, before pulling the covers off Iruka and over himself too, dragging the chuunin-sensei back into bed.

"Kakashi I really don't think now is a good ti-"

He was cut off by Kakashi's calm voice.

"No sex. Just cuddles."

'Cuddles. Did he just..' Iruka groaned inwardly, but happily curled up next to the shinobi next to him, trying hard not to let his mind wander to what might have happened if he hadn't been rescued and forcibly brought back to Konoha.

"Iruka, you're tired. Stop thinking so hard and go to sleep." The irritated jounin's voice rang in his ears as he finally decided to give in and rest comfortably for the first time in the past week.

* * *

**Notes:** Yes, I wanted a fluffy ending. Angst makes me think of a cliffhanger – which apparently makes readers not happy. Not one bit XD Wanted this out on Valentines Day too 3 Kinda a lame ending, not sure I like it.. I dunno


End file.
